Saturday, January 06, 2007

stellar search besmirched

you wake up one day, awakened by the momentum of the preceding days, the accumulation of their sequentially insistent power and pull, the push that governs your inward reasons and outward expressions.

and as you awaken, out from the gauze of a slowly fading dream, something informs you again that despite your desperate and steady disheartenment, in the midst of the parade of announcements, proclamations, droning buzz, happy jamborees, and other hype -- nobody seems to care.

the old school, old economy, the greed economy wants to blame the lack of sales on the stupidity and stubborn, irrational brand loyalty of the customers.

customer as scapegoat.

if you make the customer the star of the show, instead of your product, you'll triumph over all your foes and competitors and hostile publicity.

stop thinking about the product and how to sell some of it to anybody you opportunistically can.

stop thinking about your company and its growth and success.

think ONLY about customers, one customer at a time, one ideal persona.

NOT a theoretical customer who "ought" to like and buy your product, but a real authentic customer, one you have met and know, an actual real user of your branded merchandise. Better still, someone who needs your product, but doesn't know it yet.

From the current customer you can learn what is hated, wanted, and liked about your product. just as importantly, you will hear how it is said. you must listen to the exact words and facial experessions and other behavior of the subject of your consumer investigations. use those exact words, and the documented words of other real users, as your ad copy and web text. there is some finesse involved, but that's where your marketing, and hence, your "product" really just begin.

Products are dead, until given life and purpose by the consumers, customers, and users of it.

To search the stars, or for a specific star to shine on you, in the manner of most companies is to destabilize the methodology and the church of its stated goals. To say, "Hey, we've got this, and you need it, so hurry up and buy it." is the opposite of smart sales.

We say instead, "Hello, I understand you're not happy about such and such, but there is something that can solve that problem, fast, quick, and safely, easily, at a reasonable and fair price, when you understand how well it works and the significant euphoria and self-esteem it will bring to you. You relax while we take care of it. It's a done deal. Go have fun now."

The product in use, by an actual customer, solving a problem or enhancing a life, is the image you need, and the core of any marketing strategy.

Let the customer direct all the activities of your enterprize, in a buddhistic, immaterial way, in which management disappears into gauzy ghosts, nightgowns metaphysically, wafting around, inspiring and helping the troops, non-intrusively, awash with compassion and genius.